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[05omegav6]

OFJ Connections, openly known as One F ing Joke, took over the Gatwick Staff Bus contract on Tuesday night.

So far I have endured two journeys with them... t

On the first trip, the driver forced a cyclist off a roundabout and onto the verge, pulled from a bus lane into a busy traffic lane without indicating or looking causing two cars to brake/swerve and mounted a six inch kerb whilst negotiating a junction at speed. He was also unable to brake to a stop with anything approaching finesse or even anticipation... panic braking from 40+ (in a 30 limit) having failed to notice a mini roundabout just one example.

This mornings' driver was better, but only because he didn't hit anything/one... the rest of his driving was just as horrific.

Airlinks, part of National Express, were far from perfect... speeding being their biggest issue, but the drivers did at least know how to stop the bus without sending people flying down the aisle.

Apparently OFJ have had their first significant smash already, less than 36 hours in, with a driver overshooting a junction and posting a bus. Only a matter of time before the actually kill someone

Have fired off a complaint to Gatwick Airport Ltd, but will start filming trips just in case...

[Gaffers]

... but will start filming trips just in case...

IMO the only way to get the Police to take any notice (as many cyclists are already well aware)

I doubt that Gatwick will do the square root of fleck all if you send it to them.  Post it on Youtube, get it viral and then, and only then, will plod actually do something.

(Not a reflection on the quality of any plod members on here, just my perception based on my experiences)

[biggriffin]

OFJ Connections, openly known as One F ing Joke, took over the Gatwick Staff Bus contract on Tuesday night.

So far I have endured two journeys with them... t

On the first trip, the driver forced a cyclist off a roundabout and onto the verge, pulled from a bus lane into a busy traffic lane without indicating or looking causing two cars to brake/swerve and mounted a six inch kerb whilst negotiating a junction at speed. He was also unable to brake to a stop with anything approaching finesse or even anticipation... panic braking from 40+ (in a 30 limit) having failed to notice a mini roundabout just one example.

This mornings' driver was better, but only because he didn't hit anything/one... the rest of his driving was just as horrific.

Airlinks, part of National Express, were far from perfect... speeding being their biggest issue, but the drivers did at least know how to stop the bus without sending people flying down the aisle.

Apparently OFJ have had their m significant smash already, less than 36 hours in, with a driver overshooting a junction and posting a bus. Only a matter of time before the actually kill someone

Have fired off a complaint to Gatwick Airport Ltd, but will start filming trips just in case...

From the above description, the driver seems a very professional, bus driver who was trained by the standard bus training association who train all bus drivers.obviously not up to oof A1 driving standards then.
Bus drivers round here use the throttle pedal and brake pedals like switches On and off,and as for indicating, they don't work,.

[Nick W]

Or my mother has taken a retirement job without telling me, as that's been her driving 'technique' for years.

[05omegav6]

Filmed the journey in last night and the return this morning... last night was ok apart from poor anticipation.

Ignoring running over a kerb on a roundabout having pulled out right in front of a car, this mornings journey wasn't too bad... once the driver clocked that he was being filmed

He was driving like a twot once I got off the bus though, presumably trying to make up for driving at a sensible pace...

[Lazydocker]

I assume this is a park and ride to work?

If so, all the passengers need to make constant complaints... They have a duty of care if they are providing it

[05omegav6]

They are being inundated with complaints...

Driver tonight was the same one as first journey, and still as horrendous. He got quite vocal when I suggested that he retook his test, waving his arms and everything

Unfortunately due to memory issues I was unable to film the whole journey...

[Entwood]

They are being inundated with complaints...

Driver tonight was the same one as first journey, and still as horrendous. He got quite vocal when I suggested that he retook his test, waving his arms and everything

Unfortunately due to memory issues I was unable to film the whole journey...

Happens when you get to a certain age .. I find writing myself reminder notes helps ....   

 

[Vamps]

They are being inundated with complaints...

Driver tonight was the same one as first journey, and still as horrendous. He got quite vocal when I suggested that he retook his test, waving his arms and everything

Unfortunately due to memory issues I was unable to film the whole journey...

Happens when you get to a certain age .. I find writing myself reminder notes helps ....   

 

 

[Andy H]

They are being inundated with complaints...

Driver tonight was the same one as first journey, and still as horrendous. He got quite vocal when I suggested that he retook his test, waving his arms and everything

Unfortunately due to memory issues I was unable to film the whole journey...

Happens when you get to a certain age .. I find writing myself reminder notes helps ....   

 

Writing notes is easy remembering that you have written a note is the hard part 

[05omegav6]

Not so much what you wrote on the note, but rather what you wrote the note on...

 

[biggriffin]

They are being inundated with complaints...

Driver tonight was the same one as first journey, and still as horrendous. He got quite vocal when I suggested that he retook his test, waving his arms and everything

Unfortunately due to memory issues I was unable to film the whole journey...

He's a bus driver FFS, you obviously haven't used public transport for a long time. They have a schedule to keep,and passengers interfere with that. Also he isn't a perfect Oof trained driver.

Also you want to go on the freight shuttle buses down at euro-tunnel. They don't give a freck. Ive never seen a mini-bus go as fast in such a short run,and not slow down, its like a ride at Alton towers.

[chrisgixer]

Seen similar on the M4 with Horseman coaches and National express. Employ a retard and let him loose in charge of a bus full of people. Madness.

[05omegav6]

I suspect the worst drivers are taught, and significantly,  tested in house by London bus companies...
This is not good.

[05omegav6]

I suspect the worst drivers are taught, and significantly,  tested in house by London bus companies...
This is not good.

Basically, if you are trained and tested in house, then your licence should be tied to that company... If you move or the company changes hands, you should be recertified.

If your licence was acquired independently, then you will likely be trained and tested to a higher standard... In theory.

[ted_one]

Not going to get into this to much as I used to be the senior driving instructor with Nat Ex and I can assure all the knockers that all drivers are trained to DSA required standards and wether they are tested in house with an accredited company examiner or with the DSA there is no difference in the standard that is required to pass the PCV driving test. Now comes the BUT,and it's like all drivers..be they car,HGV or PCV,there isn't much you can do once they get that all important piece of paper in their grubby little mitts as to how they go out on to public roads and behave. At Nat Ex I regularly went out as a mystery passenger and then made myself known at the end of the run, and I can say now that I suspended numerous drivers on the spot and had them subsquently disciplined, which for some they were dismissed depending on the offence.
Being in the industry for a long time I do know what Al is talking about and my advice is to get the evidence and complain to OFJ and also to the relevant airport authority, alsoI do know that when OFJ started making their mark at Heathrow,the word went round that they were bad news and people were warned off working for them. So yes I do agree that in some instances the standard of driving is shite,but any one who has trained for a large vehicle licence will know that they have been correctly trained and it's up to the individual not furk it up by lowering the standard that they know should be be maintained or even bettered.

[ted_one]

Oh,and by the way I've seen how some of the OOF fraternity drive and all I can say ::)OFJ have a job waiting for you